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Glendale, CA—December 8, 2014—Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) announced today the release of THE FOSTERS: Keep Your Frenemies Close, based on characters from ABC Family’s hit TV series “The Fosters,” written by former Wall Street Journal reporter and non-fiction author Stacy Kravetz (Welcome to the Real World: You’ve Got an Education, Now Get a Life!; Girl Boss: Running the Show Like the Big Chicks; and The Dating Race: An Undercover Report from the Frontlines of Modern-Day Romance).
The book cover will be revealed today in five pieces via an online
scavenger hunt on “The Fosters” social media sites including https://www.facebook.com/TheFostersonABCFamily, http://instagram.com/thefostersabcf,

THE FOSTERS: Keep Your Frenemies Close
is a companion to ABC Family’s hit show “The Fosters,” and will be the
first book in a potential series. The first book takes place over a
weekend community service/school extra credit trip, which Callie is
required to take in order to boost her history grade. To complicate
things, she’s thrown together with Talya, Brandon’s ex-girlfriend who
has always been jealous of Callie, and the forced relationship between
Callie and Talya takes a series of turns over the course of the book.
The bright spot is a new guy, Austin, who flirts with them both and
stirs up even more trouble between the two. Callie and Talya reveal
secrets to each other, find common ground, find confidantes in each
other, and bond over the work they’re doing. Also, the relationships
with the other kids on the weekend trip -- a new cast of characters
which will be ongoing in the book series -- both create tension as well
as draw Callie and Talya together. Ultimately, they see each other as
something other than rivals and find they have more in common than
they’d thought. On the bus ride back home, they’re forced to consider
whether this newfound friendship will outlast the weekend. Especially
when the unthinkable happens.

“A
great TV show and a great read to go with it. If you love ‘The
Fosters,’ there’s nothing better than more stories about them. It’s
wonderful we can offer our fans many connection points,” said Karey
Burke, ABC Family’s Executive Vice President, Programming and
Development.

Currently
in its second season, “The Fosters” will feature a special holiday
episode tonight, Monday, December 8 at 8pm ET/PT and return with new
episodes on Monday, January 19, 2015 at 8pm ET/PT on ABC Family.

THE FOSTERS: Keep Your Frenemies Close will be published as a trade paperback original and goes on sale January 27, 2015. Print and eBook formats are available for pre-order wherever books are sold. THE FOSTERS: Keep Your Frenemies Close
is the first book in the Kingswell Teen imprint and the first
collaboration between Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) and ABC Family.

About Disney Publishing Worldwide

Disney
Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of
children's books, magazines, and apps, igniting imagination through
storytelling in ever-inventive ways. DPW creates and publishes books and
magazines both vertically in-house and through an extensive worldwide
licensing structure. As a leader in digital products, DPW creates
bestselling eBook titles and best-in-class original apps that have
garnered more than 50 awards to date. DPW is also committed to the
educational development of children around the world through Disney
Learning which includes our flagship learning brand, Disney Imagicademy,
as well as Disney English and other Disney themed learning products.
Headquartered in Glendale, California, DPW publishes books, magazines
and digital products in 85 countries in 75 languages. For more
information visit www.disneypublishing.com.

About “The Fosters”

ABC
Family’s “The Fosters” is a compelling, one-hour drama about a
multi-ethnic family mix of foster and biological teenaged kids being
raised by two moms. Stef Adams Foster, a dedicated police officer, and
her wife Lena Adams Foster, a school Vice Principal, have built a
close-knit, loving family with Stef’s biological son from a previous
marriage, Brandon, and their adopted twins, Mariana and Jesus. Recently
added to the mix are their newly adopted son, Jude, and his sister,
Callie, who is striving toward adoption as well despite the roadblocks
caused by her tumultuous family history.

Winner
of 2014’s Television Academy Honors Award and GLAAD Media Award for
Outstanding Drama Series, “The Fosters” is executive-produced by
Jennifer Lopez, (“American Idol,” “What to Expect When You’re
Expecting,” “The Back-Up Plan”) and created by Bradley Bredeweg and
Peter Paige (“Queer As Folk”), who also serve as executive producers and
writers, along with Joanna Johnson (“Make It or Break It”).

Part
of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over
97 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today’s
families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable
programming about today’s relationships – told with a mix of diversity,
passion, humor and heart. ABC Family’s programming is a combination of
network-defining original series and original movies, quality acquired
series and blockbuster theatricals. For 2014, ABC Family has launched
the “WATCH ABC Family” authenticated service which allows viewers with
participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of
the network, as well as continued on demand access to such popular
series at home and on the go via a wide array of devices. ABC Family is
also the destination for annual Holiday events with “13 Nights of
Halloween” and “25 Days of Christmas.” ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.

Monday, December 22, 2014

It may sound counterintuitive, but we
complicated human beings often become so entangled with others that we stop
breathing our own breath. Instead, forgetting ourselves and who we are, we
breathe everyone else’s breath.To this
unappealing notion, renowned author and well-known movement and life coach
Kathleen Aharoni says, "Argh!"

Her playful new
picture book for children titled "I Breathe My Own Breath!" explores the
ways in which human beings become entangled with others, what happens when
this occurs, and how we can get back to breathing our own pure, powerful
breath.

In so doing,
the book offers a new understanding of who we are as human beings. In
essence, says Aharoni, we each thrive when we recognize and celebrate our
own one-of-a-kind uniqueness – when we breathe our own breath –
as opposed to when we deplete ourselves by being exclusively absorbed in
and assimilated by others.

The book
includes notes to parents and educators with points for conversation,
experiential activities for further exploration of breathing one’s
own breath, and ways to incorporate the meaning of this breath into tricky
social situations, such as when you need to gather courage or connect to
confidence, feel alone, are dealing with bullying or peer pressure, are
building community with classmates, and more.

Finally, notes
Aharoni, the book nudges readers to recognize that not only do we humans
have our own breath, so do animals, trees, rivers, and the like. Through
our breath, she notes, we are all connected as well as
singular.

For
Aharoni’s efforts, "I Breathe My Own Breath!" was recognized as a
2014 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist in the category of Home, received the 2014
Living Now Gold award for Children's Non-Fiction, and has been recommended
by The U.S. Review of Books.

The author
comments, "This book can help us remember and share the concept of
‘breathing my own breath’ and valuing, honoring, and
celebrating our self. It can be a new touch-point for parents to remind
their children in challenging and celebratory situations to ‘breathe
their own breath.’"

She adds, "If
we can take all the time and internal chatter that we spend on our tangles
and instead give it to our creations, imagine what we can birth in the
world!"

Author:
For more than fifteen years, Kathleen Aharoni has worked with children and
adults to develop and master self-awareness, self-leadership, freedom, and
joy. A movement and life coach, Health Mastery columnist for Chicago
Health Magazine, and owner of Water over Stone, Inc., Kathleen has
served on the faculties of Northwestern University, Columbia College, and
Chicago’s New Trier High School. Her clients include prominent White
House staff, a U.S. ambassador, Fortune 500 employees, a variety of
performers, and college and high school students and parents; her company
has been featured on ABC, Channel 7 News, WMAQ Radio in Chicago, and in
Chicago Collection magazine. A passionate mother and partner who
hugs and talks to trees, cheers for sunrises, and cries over sunsets, the
moon, and displays of humanity, Kathleen is rapt in the sensorial and
joyously brings her giddy innocence to all that she does and is. She is
devoted to her evolvement and confidently says "Yes!" to the expanding
dimensionality of her life. For more information, visit www.chicagohealthonline.com
and www.water-over-stone.com.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Welcome to The World of Ink
Network show on Blog Talk Radio. Our goal is to bring informative and
entertaining shows to our listners.The mission of the World of Ink
Network is to share resources that introduce tips, products and services
to help strengthen, support and challenge those who love writing and
the written word.

Listen today to the Families Matter show at 4pm Eastern - 3pm Central -
2pm Mountain - 1pm Pacific. Hosts Virginia S Grenier and Marsha Casper
Cook will be talking with Author Brad Wilcox.
Brad Wilcox is an Associate Professor at Brigham Young University
where he also works with such programs as Especially for Youth and
Campus Education Week. He grew up in Ethiopia, Africa, and has also
lived with his family in New Zealand and Chile. He is the best-selling
author of many books, including Tips for Tackling Teenage Troubles, The Best-Kept Secrets of Parenting, and Straight Talk for Parents: What Teenagers Wish They Could Tell You. His children's picture book, Hip, Hip, Hooray for Annie McRae! was
a top finalist for the Children's Choice Award in Utah. He is a popular
speaker and has presented throughout the country and internationally.
You can learn more at http://familius.com/how-to-hug-a-hedgehog and http://bradwilcox.com/

The Best-Kept Secrets of Parenting authors Brad Wilcox and
Jerrick Robbins are back with a new parenting book, this time focused on
our prickly young friends: teenagers. How to Hug a Hedgehog: 12 Keys for Connecting with Teens explores
ways parents can help teens improve communication, overcome adversity,
and build self-esteem with 12 specific keys and a variety of examples
and sources.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

The World of Ink Network
brings you shows each week on topics such as books, writing, author
interviews, self-help and much more. Today on The Empowerment Show the hosts will be chatting with Mom Blogger Kari Kampakis.

WhenKari Kampakis wrote a blog post in July 2013
titled "10 Truths Young Girls Should Know," the post went viral and was
shared more than 65,000 times on Facebook. Her message stuck a chord
with moms and dads across the country. Teen girls deal daily with
cliques, bullying, rejection, and social media nightmares. Kampakis
wants girls to know that they don't have to compromise their integrity
and future to find love, acceptance, and security.

Kari Kampakis is a newspaper columnist, blogger, and former
children's photographer from Birmingham, Alabama. Her writing has been
featured on HuffPost Parents and reflects her passion for family and
God. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Kari holds an MBA and
public relations degree. She and her husband, Harry, live in blessed
chaos with their four daughters and a dog named Lola.

Join us Today at 4pm Eastern - 3pm Central - 2pm Mountain - 1pm
Pacific for a discussion about families, communication and much more.
The discussion is open to callers and comments/questions in the
chatroom.

Shadow Tears is the first book in a series. In this book you meet
Selena Goodwin who discovers more about her heritage than she ever
wanted. She has special abilities that are fascinating while others are
frightening to her. All her beliefs are tested when she finds out that
the mortal rules don’t apply to everybody or everything. Her knowledge of
the supernatural and myths might become her only means to survive. She
must accept who she is meant to be.

Being thrust into a world full of secrets,
danger, and a family she didn’t know existed is overwhelming, not to mention a
responsibility. Luckily she still has the love and support of her adoptive
father who had known all along who she is meant to be. To make things
worse she discovers her very existence is threatened by an unknown enemy.
The normal obstacles of being a teenager are hard enough. Now she has to
learn how to live a lie while falling in love and accepting her life as it was
meant to be. High school is supposed to be the best years of your
life.

Selena must rely on
strangers who she is not sure are reliable. The only person she can rely
on must stand between her and the possibility of death. Selena faces
these realms with reality always reminding her she is fallible. Yet she
can overcome anything with the love of her family and friends.

Author Bio:

Aimee Tupps grew up in
a small farm community in Connersville, Indiana. She currently resides in
Grand Blanc, Michigan. In her spare time she enjoys daydreaming,
traveling, sunsets, the outdoors but most of all spending time with her
family. As a young girl she entertained herself by living adventures from
her imagination. Aimee looks at every day as a blessing and another day
to make her dreams a reality. She is still in touch with her inner
teenager and enjoys the mischief she can get into. Family is one of the most
important things in her life. She has a degree in Medical
Transcription. Currently she works as an optical technician/tester.
She has one adoring husband who joins in her mischief or is the recipient of it
along with her two loveable children and one hyper dog.

Shadow Tears is now
available on the Halo Publishing website, Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble,
Nook, Bowker Books, Ingram Distributing, B. Dalton, and many more

Monday, December 8, 2014

Think
foreign language acquisition is a must? Ready for a mash up of the
old-fashioned pop-up book plus a hidden-pictures game with a whole lot
of exciting new technology thrown in? What’s more, are you ready to
experience all this fun in two different languages – neither of which
has to be English – simultaneously?

"Oliver in the Bath" the new, award-winning eBook/story app by the
sister writing team of L. B. Kovetz and J. P. Kovetz takes children’s
media to the next level, combining the interactive experience of an app
with a book that children can hold in their hands.

"Oliver in the Bath" is based on the simple but universal story of a
boy named Oliver who doesn’t want to get into the bathtub. Once he’s in,
he doesn’t want to get out! As Oliver and his mom imagine what his life
would be like if he never left the bathtub, hidden games and pop-up
animations appear, making this a reading experience the authors call
"crazy fun and totally engrossing."

At the same time, with a simple click, kids can see the words or hear
native speakers read the text of this charming and universal story in
two different languages – any combination of English, French, Spanish,
or Chinese.

The authors explain, "We wanted a book like this for our own kids. We
believe that the ability to communicate in other languages is
practically a super power, so we created an experience that would
introduce our children to a whole world of language in a way that was
fun for them. The future belongs to those who embrace multiculturalism.
Getting kids involved in an unfolding storybook is the best way to put
that right into their hands."

"Oliver in the Bath" has won the National Parents
Publication Gold Award, the Parents Choice Approval Award, the Film
Advisory Board Award of Excellence, and a bronze medal in the 2014
Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.

Author: L. B. Kovetz and J. P. Kovetz are a sister
writing team from New York City. The owners of Flying South Publishing, a
true independent publisher utilizing new technology to create
interesting work in novel formats, they have also created a three-CD set
of nursery rhymes set to jazz featuring top talent (Taj Mahal, Cybil
Shephard, Billy Preston). In addition, "Oliver Stays Up," the sequel to
"Oliver in the Bath," will be available November 1, 2014.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Award-winning
author Sharon Thayer has known hard times. After her business came to a
screeching halt following 9/11, she awoke one morning and wrote a story
about Santa’s beard. At the time, she had no goal in mind or even a
particular desire to be an author. In fact, she wasn’t even much of a
reader, thanks to her lifelong struggle with dyslexia.

Time passed, and Thayer set her story aside in order to make a living
and raise her three children. In the summer of 2012, with her sixtieth
birthday approaching, she made a monumental decision to have "The Myth
of Santa’s Beard" published and to sell the books to benefit nonprofit
organizations.

Sure enough, profits from her book sales allowed her to donate books
to Ronald McDonald houses, to organizations working with abused
children, to shelters, and to a food bank that included the book in each
family’s Thanksgiving basket.

That fall of 2012, "The Myth of Santa’s Beard" won an EVVY Award for
Children’s Picture Books from the Colorado Independent Publishers
Association; in 2013, it won a Bronze Medal in the category of Holiday
Books from the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. Now, Carousel Publishing
is committed to bringing this popular book to an even greater audience
to benefit additional nonprofit organizations.

This delightful story tells how a problem is growing – literally
growing – at the North Pole in the form of Santa’s beard, which begins
growing every time children share, play fair, do their best, and tell
the truth. Soon, with so many good children every day, Santa’s beard
becomes a hazard. Before long, he can’t walk or talk or even make the
toys!

One night, while Santa is asleep, Mrs. Claus and the elves concoct a
plan. All Santa will have to do is choose the best-behaved kids from his
"Good" list to receive a lock of his long white beard. The children are
rewarded for their wonderful behavior, and Santa’s beard gets a greatly
needed trim.
Beautifully illustrated by Marci Chambers, "The Myth of Santa’s
Beard" includes messages about ethics and values, the magic of Santa,
and a snippet of his long white beard to remind children to be good all
year long. The book also comes with an envelope in which to mail the
book to a child from the North Pole.

Thayer notes that the mission of Carousel Publishing is to have every
book benefit a nonprofit organization. Many options are available,
including those listed below:

Through Carousel Publishing’s WOW! Program, individuals or
businesses may purchase books at wholesale prices to gift to their
favorite nonprofit organization; this option opens the door for creative
holiday group giving projects

Corporations or individuals may sponsor books that are donated to organizations that make requests through Carousel Publishing

Nonprofit organizations, schools, and day care centers may purchase books at wholesale prices for fundraising or other events

Anyone is welcome to sponsor upcoming or custom written books that focus on a chosen message

Carousel Publishing fills the requests to organizations that are not matched with a sponsor

The author comments, "All my books contain quality of life messages
and are sold to benefit nonprofit organizations." She adds, "Parents and
grandparents love this particular story that reinforces ethics and
values, and children treasure the book and snippet of Santa’s beard."

"What a delightful story! The ‘little kid’ in me loved reading
‘The Myth of Santa’s Beard,’ and now I am making my list of all the
children I know who would love this sweet book as a holiday gift!" ~ Donna DeNomme, award-winning, internationally-published author of Turtle Wisdom and Ophelia’s Oracle

AUTHOR: Sharon Thayer has been writing children’s stories for
the past thirteen years and is now beginning to publish her stories in
three different series – The Holiday Series, The Inspirational Series,
and The Memorial Series. Her award-winning book "If You Tell Me, I Can
Fly!" is the first book in the Inspirational Series; it received the
2014 Bronze Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and four EVVY awards from
Colorado Independent Publishers Association. She raised three children
and owned various businesses, including a day care center, while living
in Colorado. She now lives in Texas near her four grandchildren and
works fulltime writing and publishing.

PLEASE NOTE

*Stories for Children Publishing, LLC. (SFC) and its divisions do not receive any compensation for product reviews beyond a sample and/or limited access to a paid website. SFC donates all books sent for review to a charitable organization. SFC may do a contest or giveaway of samples we receive.